Former Broncos safety John Lynch has made the Pro Football Hall of Fame cutdown to 15 modern-era finalists.

Lynch was a 15-year safety who played the final four seasons of his career (2004-07) with the Broncos. He played his first 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including their Super Bowl championship season of 2002.

There was disappointment in the Hall of Fame announcement Thursday as three other former stars — running back Terrell Davis, safety Steve Atwater and defensive end-linebacker Karl Mecklenburg — failed to make the cut from 25 semifinalists to the final 15.

The modern-era ballot will eventually be cut from 15 to five for Hall of Fame election Feb. 1.

“First, I want to say for T.D., I understand longevity plays a part in it, but to be the best player in the league for two or three years, I think is a Hall of Famer,” said Lynch, who is in Seattle preparing to cover the Seahawks-New Orleans Saints playoff game for Fox.

“And then I want to say I’m extremely honored that I was able to make it this far. It’s a helpless feeling going through a process like this, and I’m humbled by this.”

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.